Piano Lessons
by Hallow Avengence
Summary: After Ruby reads a selfhelp article, she decides to implement a change. Ruby/Mina and a little Luke/Galvin
1. Chapter 1

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because," Mina tilted her head to onside, "learning the piano takes dedication, skill, finesse and patience, needless to say you posses none of those qualities."

Ruby pouted. "Not even if I say _please_."

"Ruby I can't understand why you'd want to learn. Surely you've got far more important things to do with your time? Dogging round after Luke for instance?"

Ruby let out a huff. She had in fact stumbled across one of her mother's self-help magazines yesterday evening and with nothing else on her hands with the exception of much need Math revision for her Mock next week, she had settled down in front of 'Eastenders' to causally browse its pages of wisdom. Somewhere a particular passage about unrequited love had caught her eye. Apparently it was a stage everybody went through and the key to claiming you ignorant stud was to distance yourself from them while becoming a social butterfly in their presence.

Well, being a social butterfly was all fine and dandy, but Luke was so wrapped up in smiting that she only ever saw him in the stacks or before her saved her from a particularly nasty blow from some oozing monster or other. Which meant her "Luke substitutes" were limited to Galvin, which would be a considerable risk to her lungs from the amount of passive smoking she would be forced to do, or Mina…

"What if I promised to try my best and be patient and…"

"Develop you lack of skill, finesse and dedication?"

It took a second for Ruby's Victorian translator to kick in before she nodded, making a mental note to look _finesse_ up in the dictionary later. Mina sighed and slid gracefully to one end of the piano seat she sat on.

"I'm not sure how much of an effective teacher I'll be."

"Why? Cause your awful at teaching?"

"Because I'll only be able to hear the numerous mistakes you'll be making." Mina said wryly. She shook her head. "I use to _be_ a teacher."

"Really? I didn't…oh, _Dracula_." Ruby frowned. "Anyway, what do I do?"

"You see the two black keys; the white key to the left is a C…"

------

Mina, of course, had turned out to be an excellent teacher. She was patient yet persistence and had made Ruby play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' through until she didn't make her cringe. In fact Ruby couldn't pin-point the exact moment it had happen, but somewhere during the lesson she'd begun to really enjoy herself.

By the time Luke and Galvin slopped through the door, the teenager had coaxed another lesson out of Mina, who had only given a faint protest before agreeing with a laugh and disappearing into the stacks to find the hidden bottle of whiskey Galvin claimed desperately to need.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" Luke asked throwing himself into the nearest sofa.

She grinned. "I've mastered 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'.

Her friend raised a bemused eyebrow. "Of course."

"Anyway, I have got a math test next week I need to revise for."

Luke frowned. "You don't want hear about my horrific ordeal with a type 8 and Galvin's corny country music?"

"Nah."

He frowned watching her skip out the Stacks, throwing a See You Tomorrow Mina over her shoulder. Later, the woman in questioned just grinned impishly at him over the rim of her mug, when he queried her about his friend's unusual behaviour.


	2. Chapter 2

_So, I'm sorry I haven't updated this. Truth was I was going to give up on this, despite the fact I'm still not quite over my Demons obsession. Even though __it's been cancelled. And wasn't really anything to get obsessed by in the first place. It's probably because I'm a little bit in love with Mina Harker, and possibly Zoë Tapper. _

_Anyway, sorry for the massive delay (and another short chapter). __Thank you for all your reviews. ^_^_

_Love__ Hallow._

_-----_

"Shouldn't you be hiding under a pile of bed covers and moaning incoherent curses at the sun?"

"And shouldn't you be wearing something more…appropriate than_ that_?" Ruby snipped, pushing past Mina's skimpily clad form and into the house, trying to keep her eyes averted.

Which failed. Miserably.

Ruby had after a night of ignoring all of Luke's attempts a contact – god, that boy was persistent, decided that since Mina had unknowingly done such a good job of keep her mind off said boy; she would schedule her next lesson early. 9 am on a Tuesday morning.

Which was why she found herself tracing the smooth creamy skin of the redundant vampire's ankles, carves, knees, thighs - "What are you doing here, Ruby?"

The teenager snapped her gaze back up to the other woman's face. "Uh…"

----

"Ruby…Just stop."

"But you said to-"

"I know." Mina shook her head softly and smiled; Ruby's hands stilled to silence on the keys. "I just want to know why you're doing this."

Ruby frowned. _Huh?_

"Huh?"

"I'm not stupid Ruby. You've never shown any interest in the piano before. I just wanted to know what's prompted this…change."

_Well shit. __Now your gonna have to tell her about the whole substitute plan, which will hurt her feelings and then she'll end up crying like Angela Coudby last summer when she wet herself from laughing to hard at-_

"Ruby?"

The teenager sighed. She had never been a particularly good liar. She'd never found any reason to hone the skill, instead preferring to tell the truth and, inevitably, get in trouble. "Its complicated…"

Mina clasped her hands in her lap, head cast downwards. "Galvin hasn't said anything?"

"Galvin? No." Ruby's forehead crinkled with confusion. "Why would he?"

"It seems he's worried about my…_health_." Mina's sardonic grin didn't completely hide the apprehension in her voice.

Ruby frowned and wondered if it would be weird if she hugged her piano teacher. To try to bring her some comfort. And beside maybe she could see if her theory about Mina's hair smelling like vanilla held any weight, or if her fingers would simply skim over the surface of the reluctant vampire's skin – surely something that perfect couldn't exist?

But the other woman was frowning expectantly in her general direction again, so Ruby settled with sliding her hand into Mina's.

"So remind me what a chord is again?"


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby found the next issue of her mother's self-help magazine lining the bottom of Jamie's rabbit, Bounce's, cage. Bounce had been rather disgruntled when he was awoken, two days after Ruby's last piano lesson with Mina, to the teenage rummaging around underneath his feet and then stealing half of his bedding.

Ruby had realised that there were side effects to her 'Luke Substitute' plan. For example waking up in a cold sweat after having a... not exactly PG-13 dream about a certain blind vampire. She was pretty sure they were just Luke withdrawal symptoms. Every addict got them right? Maybe she shouldn't have been quite so hasty in completely ignoring Luke and instead slowly weaned herself off of him.

Bounce however didn't seem to sympathise with her crisis. And the latest issue said nothing about side-effects, complications, lesbian fantasies or withdrawal symptoms; it was too concerned with herbal rash remedies and organic wheat scarves.

Ruby decided to take her own advice.

When Luke questioned her later about the tiny, angry red marks across her hands and wrist, Ruby just smiled and failed to mention her run in with her brother's ill-tempered, exceedingly dangerous and sharp toothed rabbit.

---

"So what has been wrong with you recently?" Luke asked, eyeing up the waitress behind the popcorn dispenser from his position leaning against the sweet counter. Ruby had forced him into seeing the latest Harry Potter film, despite him complaints about having way too much magic in his life, without experiencing more on a horrifcally large screen.

"Hmm?" Ruby decided evasion would most defiantly be the best tactic to avoid any embarrassing or awkward confrontations.

"You've been acting weird." Luke sent her a wounded look, "you've been avoiding me."

"Me? Avoid you? Nope." Ruby switched to innocence.

Her friend turned to stare quizzically at her. "You've been spending loads of time with Mina."

Ruby shrugged and attempted to look nonchalant, distracting herself with the incredibly important decision of gummy bears or strawberry laces. Heavens knows pick 'n' mix was a crucial part of the cinema experience. "Hardly. We've had two lessons together; we're not quite swapping friendship bracelets just yet. Anyway, what's it to you?"

Now it was Luke's turn to shrug. "It's just weird. You don't like each other, remember?"

Ruby smiled, "well it turns out that Mina's…" _amazing?_ "…Okay. Why, are you jealous?" She grinned wickedly at him. And then frowned, wondering why she didn't feel quite as victorious as she should.

"No." Luke said slightly too quickly. Finally losing his patience with her indecision, he snatched her sweet scope out her hand and shoved gummy bears into the striped candy bag. "Just not crazy about the idea of being made redundant as a friend," he said, nudging her towards the scales.

Ruby wrinkled her nose. "Aw, snockums. If I was going to replace you, I would have done it a _long_ time ago…."

She snickered, and Luke reached out a hand to ruffle her hair affectionately. "Bitch," he murmured good-humouredly.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sorry this took so long. But... I kind of thought everyone else had given up on demons. *shrugs* Anyway this is just posted on the off chance that there still someone out there who still refuses to let Mina/Ruby die... :D

* * *

"Anyway," Luke said as he sat down with infuriating ease in his cinema seat – Ruby, hands full with sweets and her industrial size coke flavoured water, had been attempting to sit for about 3 minutes by using her knees as leverage to pull the bloody contraption flat. She glared at it – "I wanted to talk."

Ruby froze. There were admittedly_ lots_ of things she didn't want to talk about: Mina, Luke, Pianos, Self help-

"It's about Galvin." Ruby breathed. Galvin fortunately was on her list of acceptable conversation topics. She took note of Luke's bent head and clasped hands – and was he blushing?

"Uh, yeah. Go ahead." She finally dropped into her seat, only managing to spill half of her popcorn across the floor, "it's not about..._spooky_ stuff is it?"

Luke snorted, his face brightening for a second. "Spooky? What are we the Scooby mystery gang?" He sobered suddenly, "No, it's not that. It's.... uh, do you remember that guy – Josh Manning in the year above us?"

Ruby frowned. "Yes... he was the one who was sick in the year assembly over Courtney's back, right?"

"No, I thought that was Alan Jenkins? He got-" Her friend frowned, "off topic. Last year remember? He got caught with Mr Thomas, the RE teacher..."

"Yeah..." Ruby wondered where this was going. People were being to shoot them glares – she took a handful of gummy bears to distract herself. The last thing she wanted to do was pick a fight with a Harry Potter fan girl – they all appeared to be armed with long, pointy wands.

Luke paused, going red again in the flickering light. "...I think I'm like him."

"Hmmm? Like what?" Ruby hummed, eyeing up the blond kid in front of them who was glowing at them from beneath the rim of her floppy, wizard hat.

"Gay."

Ruby choked, sending half masticated gummy bears over him.

* * *

Half an hour later, (most of which had been spent with Luke slapping Ruby's back in an attempt to help her dislodge the candy debris stuck in her throat) the two teenagers were sitting on the side of the Thames watching grey scum float by. They had been escorted out of the cinema – apparently chucking up gummy bears didn't earn you too many friends.

"So what has you being gay got to do with Galvin?" Ruby murmured shifting on the cold bench slightly, "I think my butts gone numb."

Luke flushed and absentmindedly began to pull at a lose thread on his hoody. "I'm not sure if I'm gay, or just gay for Galvin."

Ruby raised an eyebrow and muttered "welcome to my world."

"What?"

His friend sighed, "I'll tell you another time. I've had way to many _life experiences_ today." Plus there were somethings Ruby really just wanted to keep to herself. Like that dream about making out under Mina's piano with -- well she was pretty sure she'd starting the deed with Mina, but somewhere along the line she'd end up, uh, _touching_ the actually piano while Mina hummed into her ear behind. Her long slender finger stroking and -

"I can't believe they actually threw us out –and did you see that kid." Luke grinned." She looked fierce."

Ruby blinked for a second and took a moment to curse her teenage hormones. "You think she was bad. I caught a glimpse of her mother on the way out." She gave a theatrical shudder.

Two lessons and she was already, _well_...

_It was that night-y thingy_, Ruby thought with contempt_. I mean who answers the door dressed like that?!?_

They lapsed back into silence for a while.

Luke fidgeted. "I'm glad you're taking this so well... I mean finding out your friend is gay isn't exactly perfect in itself. But, uh. I know you have...had that thing for me."

Ruby nearly fell off the bench. "Can you warn me when you're about to do that?"

"What?"

"Hit me with some..." she waved a hand vaguely, trying to grasp the phrase. "Internal blood revelation! And anyway don't have a 'thing' for you. Turns out my tastes are a little higher."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. Don't look at me like that. I'm not telling – not today at least." She pressed a hand to her forehead and mock swooned, "I'm emotionally exhausted."

"If your emotionally exhausted, does that mean you don't want Pizza?" Luke asked hopefully, and squealed when he got a face-full of left over popcorn thrown in his face.


	5. Chapter 5

Ruby gripped the book with both hands and heaved, turning her head in an attempt to avoid chocking on the dust bunnies that danced off the shelf it had been residing on.

After her and Luke's little chat, she had decided to do some research, in the hope that _something _could help bring an end to her... infatuation. Hence, Ruby had snuck into the stacks and located the (alarmingly large) section on "homosexual tendencies", as the small plaque screwed to the shelf had so quaintly labelled it. Somehow Ruby felt that "homosexual tendencies" didn't quite sum up the sloshing of desperation, adoration, confusion, pity and lust in the pit of her stomach every time she saw Mina.

So far her search had ranged from interesting, (in particular 'Feminism Gone Wrong', which depicted in great detail..._ positions_ and uh, the fulfilment of the suppressed genders need to dominate. Ruby had blushed guiltily; half mesmerised - half disgusted, especially at the chapter concerning punishment) to the completely useless (namely 'The Guide on How Best to Pleasure Your Same-Sex Lover' which had been written sometime in late 1800's and thus was mostly concerned with daisy chains and herbal tea as an aphrodisiac).

Ruby was half way through her fourth book, the rest of her finds scattered across the stacks table, when a voice behind said: "Ruby?"

The teenagers head snapped round so quickly, she almost fell of the chair. "M-Mina?"

The older woman frowned, leaning against the doorframe with effortless elegance. "It's late. Shouldn't you be at home?"

"I was just..." _doing a little unsuccessful research into lesbianism, _"looking up some stuff for my... history exam tomorrow."

"Oh." Mina smiled, moving towards the table, "find anything useful?"

"Well, not exactly," Ruby attempted to laugh lightly – instead she managed a manic breathy giggle. _Useful? No. Interesting, certainly. For example if I ever do get around to declaring my undying love for you, I'll know exactly where to put my fingers..._

"What is it you're looking for?" Mina pulled out the chair beside her and sank down into it. Ruby caught the muffled clunk of the blind woman's red heels hit the floor as she slipped her feet out of them and buried her stocking clad toes in the thick carpet. The younger girl grinned despite herself as Mina hummed contently.

"What is your exam on?" Mina repeated and before Ruby could stop her, she was pulling 'The Lesbian Hand Book' towards her and skimming her fingers over it.

"The, uh..." Frantically Ruby tried to remember a period of history – any history at all, swallowing loudly as Mina's fingers rested on one of the more explicit pictures. "The Victorians!"

Ruby winced. Note to self: avoid all mentions of Mina's tragic past. Also avoid topics of blood, vampirism, dead husbands... dead anything, plagiarism and unruly (possibly an understatement) sons.

She watched the blind woman's face, which for the most part remained impressively blank, apart from the flash of grief which flittered around the edges of her unfocused gaze. "...Sorry. I didn't mean to...um."

Mina sighed, closing the book her hands rested on. "It's fine. I'm sure I can be of help, I am after all somewhat of an _expert_ on the era." Her smile was wry, tinged with sadness and something else that Ruby couldn't quite identify. Absentmindedly Mina began tracing the raised letters on the book beneath her hands... and then froze.

For a second her teenage companion couldn't breathe.

"Ruby...is this...?"

There was a beat of silence. Suddenly Ruby jolted into action, cheeks flaming red in the partial gloom of the stacks.

"It was nice to see you! I've got to go now. Early start. Need to be prepared!" She leapt out her chair and made a hasty break for the door – only to be hindered by a table which jabbed her painfully in the hip. "Fuck!" She glared furiously at the obstacle, ignoring Mina who had half risen from her seat and was chuckling lightly to herself.

"Ruby, really-"

The teenager ignored her, stuffing the book closest to hand in her bag (humiliated or not, they might prove useful later. If not her then, at least to Luke) and backing towards the door. "Exam tomorrow. Bye!"

She turned on her heel and fled.

Inside the stacks Mina sat back down and hummed thoughtfully. "'The Lesbian Hand book'?" She pulled another book towards her across the polished mahogany and ran her fingers over the lettering: "' Who Would Want to Be A 'Hetro'?'"

Perhaps it was time to do a little research of her own.

* * *

So... originally I was going to avoid the whole cliqued 'happy ending', but to my Demons/Zoe Tapper deprived mind I think Ruby, Mina, Luke, and yes _even_ Galvin deserve a little fluff and their share of cliqued love.

Review, pleaaaase?


	6. Chapter 6

_Okay, I am sorry. Really I am, but the plot bunnies have only just started reattacking me! Anyway, I don't think they'll be many chapters left after this which I'm kinda sad about, but everyone has pretty much deserted the fandom so..._

_I do have a few Ruby/Mina oneshots ratteling about though so depending on how many reviews/hits I get I might post/write them..._

_I think thats about it. So I hope you like this! Happy Easter! ^_^_

* * *

Ruby successfully managed to avoid Mina for five days, until Luke turned up on her doorstep in a dinner jacket, grinning like an idiot.

"We've been invited to a party!" He announced, clapping his hands together joyfully.

"By who?"

"Mina."

Ruby's heart, which had been residing in a shrivelled lump of embarrassment somewhere near her stomach ever since her _enlightening_ encounter with Mina, began to race with the mention of said blind vampire's name. "I can't go."

Her friend looked momentarily crestfallen, "but why?"

"I just can't. I uh, don't have a dress!"

From behind her, her mother's voice called, "you've got that lovely purple one Auntie Agni brought."

Ruby resisted the urge to smash her head against the door. Instead she settled for groaning loudly and hollering "private conversation Mother!" which earned her a stiff reply of "Don't talk to me like that young lady" but otherwise blissful silence.

She turned back to Luke. "It will take me ages to get ready and 'Eastenders' is on tonight – you know I hate missing it."

"Aw, come on, please. Galvin's going to be there and I just don't want to... please Rubes'."

Her conscience, annoying pest that it was, joined the clamour of her heart beat in her ears. Ruby took in her friend's hopeful doe gaze and adorably ruffled suit: "I'm sorry, I want to. I just can't..."

Luke frowned at her. "Is something wrong? I mean you've been acting weirdly recently, is that why you – Oh my god!" He gave a little breathless cry and flapped his arms round – and _god_ Ruby swore sometimes he was actually a twelve year old girl, "You're not ill are you?"

"Huh?"

"Like Emily Benson, remember? That girl who got that weird disease and was tired all the time so her Mum like imprisoned her in the house."

Ruby's eyes rolled upwards without her permission, "she had diabetes. And no, I'm not ill." _Just touched by insanity._

"Then why can't you come?"

"Luke..."  
"Ruby... we haven't been out together for ages. And it's _Mina's_ party – there's bound to be swanky food and dark mysterious guys hanging about in corners that you can harass. Oh, and Galvin _might_ have mentioned something about a chocolate fountain."

His friend perked up immediately, "really?"

"Uh huh. With maaaarshmellows..."

Ruby gave her friend a long look and decided that the only way to resolve her dilemma was to, rather sensibly she thought; make a pros vs. Cons list.

Pros:

Luke got a wing woman

A chocolate fountain would quite possibly be guest of honour

There was a good chance Ruby would be able to spy on the object of her affections. And really, it was scary how content she could feel _just watching_ Mina (in a totally non-creepy, un-rapey kind of way)

Mina's house was large, labyrinth-like and would be brimming with people and well, Mina was _blind_.

Cons:

Mina was also a psychic, which had to give her at least a little advantage over your average guide dog and white cane type

If caught by said blind women Ruby would only have two possible options: shrivel up in a ball and pray that the blood that was rushing to her head boiled her brain alive, thus rendering her unconscious and quite possibly dead... Or in the unlikely event that she survived the encounter, move the next day to some remote part of Canada, where people had probably never heard of vampires let alone unspeakably lovely ones.

Four against two. Ruby sighed deeply, "give me twenty minutes to change."

* * *

Mina's house was aglow.

Luke spotted Galvin immediately and, lighting up like a Christmas tree, grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled them towards him, "Galvin!"

The man in question was sitting glumly on the stairs, swirling a dark brown liquid around his glass. "Luke. Ruby," he nodded at them but not before, Ruby noted with glee, trailing his eyes up and down his godson appreciatively. Or at least she assumed it was appreciatively – generally all Galvin's emotions were filtered through the general standby setting of 'gruff' which tended to coat all other emotions in a thick layer of gravelly indifference.

"I uh, I wanted to talk to you Luke."

"Bout' what?" Her friend met the older man's eyes with uncharacteristic shyness.

Ruby could practically hear the cogs in Galvin's head turning, "about... things." He gave his godson a meaningful look but Luke, oblivious, continued to stare at him blankly.

Ruby could feel a grin threatening to split onto her face and tried to cover it with a quick cough, "it uh, sounds serious Luke. I think you should go somewhere quiet and _talk_." From the corner of her eye she caught Galvin's grateful look.

"Oh. But I don't want to leave you alone," he glanced around at the people swarming past them. "Why don't you find Mina?"

Internally Ruby began cursing every God she'd ever heard of or imagined. _Don't even... _

"Yeah, I think she's in the kitchen talking to some tuba player or something." Galvin nodded enthusiastically, suddenly seeing an opportunity to drag Luke away to some remote corner and... _deflower _him. And honestly – these two were so unsubtle, how was it even possible that she hadn't noticed it before? In fact how was it possible that all the pent up sexual tension that was currently wired up in the stacks at the moment, hadn't spontaneously exploded, burnt all their clothes up and left with them all dry humping like... like _whales!_ (Ruby wasn't entirely sure that whales dry humped but the name 'hump-back' had to come from somewhere, right?)

Both Luke and Galvin were staring expectantly at her now. "She's in the kitchen..." Luke prompted.

"Yes, right. I'll just be off to the kitchen then. Ha. Have fun." She stood stationary for a second waiting for them to turn and leave her, but through some sort of twisted chivalry they stayed patiently, determined to see her walk safely to the kitchen just in case, oh, she caught the eye of a rapist and they attacked her within the few meters walk.

Resisting the urge to club them both over the head with her clutch bag, she turned and as slowly as feasible and inched towards the kitchen. If she just hung silently around the edges of the room till Luke and Galvin had disappeared then she could sneak off and hide for the rest of the evening.

Unfortunately as she was rounding the doorway another guest stepped into her spilling their freezing cold and bright blue drink down the front of her chest. Ruby gasped. The man who had collided with her swore loudly and in a thick French accent shouted, "Mina! Mina, I have doused this lovely young woman in, in..." The man paused puzzled and sniffed his now empty cup suspiciously, "in whatever Claude has given me to drink."

Ruby squeezed her eyes shut.

There was a clicking of heels and the sudden smell of vanilla and then a hand gentle taking her wrist and turning her round. "...Ruby? Oh, your _dress_."

The teenager heard the French man begin apologise only to be cut off by Mina's voice, "really Mr Maladroit it was an accident. And Claude has been plying you with drinks all evening. Why don't you go and find a glass of water?"

There were footsteps and Ruby sensed Mina's attention shifting back to her. Fingers skimmed her cheek, "Ruby? Are you okay?"

Dragging whatever remains of her courage she could from the dark cluttered corners of her brain, Ruby opened her eyes. Mina's face swarm into view, as did the rest of her and _Jesus_ she really should have kept her eyes closed.

The blind women was dressed in a floor length silk red dress which shimmered over her curves and revealed just enough cleavage that Ruby had to swallow thickly. "Mina... I, uh, you look beautiful," she breathed.

The elder woman's face brightened, "as I'm sure you do Ruby. Well minus the..." Mina frowned and leant forward ever so slightly. She sniffed, "well, I have no idea what that is. It smells a little like paint remover. Honestly I don't know where Claude finds these drink – he did assure me that it was digestible though, and after what happened at the Christmas party last year I thought it best to check." She paused and reached out to skate her fingers just above the neckline of Ruby's dress, the corners of her mouth curling up mischievously at the younger girl's soft gasp, "do you want to change?"

"Into what," the teenager muttered dreamily, hypnotised by the other woman's lips.

Mina's left hand which was still holding onto her wrist slid downwards to tangle their fingers together, "I'm sure I'll have something that will fit you upstairs."

"Up-upstairs?" Ruby, whose only experience of ever being invited upstairs, not including Luke, had resulted in having her hand pushed down the front of someone's trousers and spit smeared across her cheeks by a boy who was rumoured to be the best kisser in her college; shivered. Mina seemed to be filling her senses and she felt like she was drowning blissfully in silk and vanilla.

"Yes... is that okay?" The blind woman bit her lip, briefly hesitant.

"Yeah, take me." Ruby murmured breathlessly and then, realising what she had said began to stutter, "I mean t-take me upstairs, not, not uh... _Oh Christ!_"

To her horror Mina chuckled lowly, "oh, I'll take you Ruby... upstairs."


	7. Chapter 7

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, its an exceptionally late update! *cough* Sorry :) Anyho, only one chapter left after this I should think as all my lose ends are coming together rather nicely.

So, I hope anyone who is still reading enjoys this and thank you for everyone's support in the reviews. Mina, Ruby, Galvin and thank you as well (I think their rather cheerful that their happliy ever after is quite close ^_^ )

* * *

Mina's room, much to Ruby's surprise, was remarkably plain considering the women who inhabited it dressed like she'd danced her way through several hundred vintage clothing stores covered head to toe in super glue. Given the chance the teenager would have cheerfully spent hours drinking every detail of the room and savouring the precious insight it gave into the other woman; but the sight of the bed that Mina seemed to be motoring her towards was enough to silence every thought running through her head except for, _sweet Jesus._

Much to Ruby's disappointment Mina didn't push her onto the bed, straddle and ravish her, but instead sat her down carefully – fingers skimming down her arms, and then move to begin rummaging through her wardrobe. The older women was frowning slightly, head titled to one side as she concentrated on distinguishing the garments from the weight of the fabric between her fingers.

Ruby watched her, rattling her brains for something to say that didn't feel the first line a porno. "Thanks for inviting me."

"You're most welcome. It's nice to have someone here who I actually enjoy the company of, besides Galvin and Luke of course." Mina paused in her search for a moment, oblivious to Ruby quivering with joy behind her, "have you seen them at all? I spoke to Galvin briefly but since then they've both seem to have vanished."

"I think they had, uh... things to talk about."

Mina smirked wryly and Ruby wondered for a second if she knew about their mutual attraction (though the teenager suspected perhaps the unspoken but blazingly obvious energy that hovered between Galvin and Luke had gone way beyond the description of just attraction. It could've applied for its own postcode.) "Good. Oh," the vampire pulled an emerald green dress out, made of similar silk to Mina's own, "this should fit you. It might be a little shorter on you but..." She trailed off and smiled shyly, "I'm sure you will only look even lovelier."

From where Ruby was sitting that sounded suspiciously like flirting and something inside her burst; warmth flooded through her from head to toe. She figured she'd have to talk about their somewhat mortifying encounter at some point – now was as good a time as she was going to get. Even if things did go horribly wrong and she ended up moving to Canada after all, well, she'd always have the memory of Mina complimenting her legs. Besides Canada was rumoured to make pretty awesome bacon, "Mina... about the other day... uh."

"Hmmm?" The other woman replied absentmindedly. She brushed invisible lint off the dress and then sent Ruby a careful smile. "You can change in the bathroom. It's second on the left and there should be a towel to wipe you down with as well." She tilted her head to the side, suddenly impish, "you don't want to get sticky."

The eleven year old boy Ruby was suddenly channelling snickered. Inwardly she groaned; _smooth, real smooth Rubes'. I bet this is what all the sleek movers use to charm women. Why don't you just invite her to swap Pokémon cards and have an ice pop? _"Mina, really... the other day, in the stacks... The thing is... What it is is I've got... a thing. No! That's not how it sounds, I mean, I have a, a... thing but it's not a thing like an uh, appendix. It's you! And your there and I'm here and, and Luke use to be there but now..."

"Ruby," Mina breathed.

"And now this thing is, um, bigger for you... than for anybody. And. And, I'm scared – not of you! Of my thing... you, you aren't scary at all. Well you, you are 'cause you're so pretty and you make my stomach, sort of, like a washing machine full of butterflies and you probably don't have a, well a thing for me but, I thought you should know 'cause..."

"Ruby," and all of a sudden Mina was standing right in front of her and her hands were cupping the younger girl's cheeks, tilting her head upwards. "I know," she whispered, voice soft. Slowly she lent downwards and brushed their lips together, "why else would a self respecting woman invite a girl up to her bedroom. Really, I was rather hoping you would..." Mina tilted her head to one side, breath ghosting across Ruby's mouth "..._pounce_ on me. So I wouldn't feel quite so lecherous in seducing a girl less than a third of my age."

Ruby let out a shaky breath, unsure as whether she still had the ability to speak – or do anything that didn't involve kissing the woman in front of her, who looked so adorably mischievous, "Oh... sorry."

Mina snickered, "that's quite alright. But Ruby? Do I really make your stomach feel like a _washing machine full of butterflies_?"

The teenager glared at her ineffectually for a second and then decided the best way to shut her up was with a kiss.

* * *

Review? You totally want to... I know you do! Oh, and if you do (review that is) you can totally be ravished in a situation of your choosing by a unusual impish Mina or even our gruff-but-charming-nevertheless-Galvin... or _both_!_ Concurrently_! Such a shame you can't review your own stories ;D


	8. Chapter 8

It turned out that Ruby didn't need to bother scurrying down the hall to the toilet in order to change into the clean dress, instead Mina carefully removed the sticky one, letting it fall into a damp heap over the side of the bed. And _god_, Ruby had never seen the other woman look so predatory.

"Oh Ruby, what a mess you've made," Mina drawled, dancing slim fingers over the younger girl's abdomen to the hem of her panties.

Ruby tired to push the embarrassment of the plain white and somewhat… innocent looking garment away but, "-I'm sorry!" Mina's dark eyes flashed upwards, worried and panicked. "My underwear, I mean! It's not very…. I mean, I know you can't see it but, well, I'm sure you're probably wearing some sort of devastatingly um…." For a beat Ruby desperately tried to regain her thought, momentarily thrown by imagining the woman hovering above her clad in all manner of raunchy lace, barely there sex teddies. It's not like such thoughts hadn't been entertained in the girl's mind before (and far… _more_) but _this _- here with the object of all those thoughts pinning her to a bed, so close and so real and so unbelievably more perfect than she ever could have fantasised - this was playing havoc with all of the little functions that Ruby normally took for granted.

Above her Mina's expression had quietly turned from one of panic to amusement as she heard the girl below her ramble into her own thoughts. She dipped her head closer and brushed their lips together gently, murmuring the girls name as she did. "Ruby, did I tell you? You're completely adorable. And it really doesn't matter what your wearing because…" She tilted her head in thought, wondering how to phrase it. "I'm blind, but I don't need sight to know… to know you are beautiful. And whatever you wear you'll always be beautiful. And kind and funny, and quirky, and utterly intoxicating even to women more than three times your age, who should really know better."

There was quiet pause in which Ruby stared somewhat flummoxed at Mina. "I.. Mina, I… are you blushing?" The younger girl peered at the pinked cheeks of the other woman's pale complexion and then let out a little shriek of laughter. "And you think I'm adorable?"

Mina gave a sigh and sat back so she was straddling Ruby's hips, "I'm far old to be adorable." Her eyes suddenly became serious, flickering towards the ceiling. She tugged her bottom lip in thought, "I'm so old."

Ruby propped herself up onto her elbows, "Mina."

"And you are so young. Young and unspoiled. I don't want to hurt you Ruby and… and I don't want you to hurt me. And both are likely." She closed her eyes, still worrying her bottom lip. "This isn't a good idea."

The younger girl stared at her, wondering what to say. Ruby felt like she was spiralling away from her own body and observing the scene from afar, distant and helpless. There were so many things too say, but… despite all of the thoughts flicking through her head being true, she didn't want to seem foolish, or naïve, in front of the other woman. But then, she wasn't prepared to loose _this_. And sure she might look foolish, naïve but… wasn't it far more stupid to sit and watch the object of all her desires fall apart and fall away from her?

"Mina?" Ruby reached up and turned the older woman's face towards her own, "I probably shouldn't tell you this - I mean, I know I'm young and I know you're old but… how I feel, I don't even think I can put into words how much I- how much I care about you. Nothing will change that. I can't promise that neither of us will get hurt but I know that I'll do everything in my power to stop anyone, including myself, from ever hurting you. I can't fight like Galvin and I'm not some sort of destined protégée like Luke but…" She trailed off. Mina had opened her eyes and was blinking rapidly. She swallowed and tried to lighten the tone, "besides you're only as old as you feel!"

Mina chuckled softly, "I feel my age."

"Oh… well you're looking pretty good on it."

The other woman grinned, all of a sudden seductive and _damn, _Ruby was a risk of whiplash from the speed at which Mina was changing moods tonight. And a heart attack if she kept smiling at her like that.

"What about you Ruby, how old do you feel?" Mina practically purred, lowering herself back down and tracing the tip of her nose around the edge of the younger girl's ear.

Ruby swallowed, distracted, "hmmm? Um, like a thirteen year old teenage boy around you."

"Oh?" Mina sat back, playfully pouting. Ruby stomach flipped - how could someone be this adorable and sexy at the same time? She didn't know whether she wanted to pet the other woman or rip her clothes off… though perhaps there was a way she could manage both at once? "I'm clearly not doing my _job", _the word was practically hummed, "if you can still think straight enough to evaluate your own age."

Ruby failed to suppress the shudder than ran through her, and Mina purred victoriously, smiling - all mischief and impishness - down at the girl.

"Preferably you shouldn't be able to remember your own name."

* * *

Downstairs Luke and Galvin, having returned from their uh… serious discussion, had given up looking for the two girls.

"Maybe they needed some space? Went for a walk?"

Galvin, who had been frowning up the stairs, grunted. "I think they needed some space all right. But I don't think a walk had much to do with it."

"Huh?"

The older man gave a the boy a fond look, "women," he said, looking at his godson squarely in the eye, "are strange and mysterious creatures."

Luke met his gaze. "Well, I was hoping I wasn't going to have to worry too much a about women. I've different concerns. Different…priorities."

Galvin shifted his hips slightly, pressing his leg against the younger man's, still staring intensely at him. "Downstairs bathroom is free."

"What if they come back looking for us?" Luke asked reluctantly, pressing back against the side of Galvin's body, careful to make the move look causal. The kitchen was occupied by a large group on the other side of the room; their overly loud voices and exaggerated gestures signs of their intoxicated state.

Galvin's eyes were dark. He paid the group no heed. "They won't. Otherwise engaged."

Luke looked at him in surprise. "You know something I don't, don't you?" he said flatly. The teenager was use to the feeling of everyone else catching onto things a little faster than he did - there was no point denying it. And besides, his mother always told him he had other qualities.

The older man nodded. "Let's just say, you aren't the only one with _different priorities."_

* * *

_Well that is it folks! I'm sorry it took me such a long time to update this but I've been - I don't think busy quite does it justice but - busy. And don't believe anyone when they tell you all students do is sleep. Not true! First year of uni: Gin and Library. _

_Anyway, thanks so much to anyone who is still reading :) And I hope you've enjoyed it and the end wasn't too disappointing? I might write a sequel or some missing scenes from this fic (a showdown of Mina and Galvin when they both discover they are lusting after the mini smiters, Ruby finally coming clean to Luke, Ruby getting jealous of some gorgeous half life... actually I've always wanted to write a Ruby/Mina/Morgana threesome fic :D I can see Morgana being all 'oh innocent human you have so much to learn. Now for teaching purposes were are going to tie Mina down, right, now put your fingers here, yes and...') _

_So yes. Thanks so much and happy hoppy Easter! _

_PS. Review? _


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